The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, in his budget policy statement pointed to the department’s imminent request for R10 billion to cover policy initiatives and an intention to call for an amendment of the Lotteries Act to enable access to funds for sports and recreation activities.

Mbalula said the department’s National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) has been costed and will soon be presented to treasury and then to the cabinet.

Cabinet will need to budget approximately R10 billion for the fulfilment of the NSRP objectives according to Mbalula.

He also said that the department intends to engage the Ministry of Trade and Industry with the intention to amend the National Lotteries Act with “a view to opening a window of opportunity for the sport and recreation sector to independently access Lotteries funding and resources for sport and recreation service delivery”.

The department’s budget allocation for 2013/2014 financial year amounts to R1.073 billion and 73% of this amount (R815 million) is transferred to provinces, municipalities and sports federations according to the minister.

Mbalula said this allocation is “very minimal in real terms” as a bulk of the budget goes to Provincial Conditional Grants and the School Sport Programme and only R258 million will be utilised by the National Department for all its activities including salaries.